Our earlier U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,982, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, describes an electrosurgical instrument for spinal procedures comprising a generally scoop-shaped cup whose periphery is electrically active and is capable of applying RF electrosurgical currents to spinal tissue.
While the patented device as explained in that patent is suitable for many spinal procedures, there is a need in the art for other instruments that can electrosurgically remove or shrink tissue, and specifically disc nucleus pulposus, via a cannula for minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures, such as a discectomy.